The Family Reunion
by Cre
Summary: [Discontinued & Unfinished] Tyr Anazasi finds survivors of his lost Kodiak Pride
1. The Nightmare

Part I: The Nightmare 

Traveling through a vast night sky, the Andromeda Ascendant awaits its next challenge toward the rebuilding of the New Commonwealth. As the glorious silver craft soars undisturbed, the same cannot be said of Tyr Anasazi. He lies in his bed, asleep... sweating and groaning. Visions of an attack are swirling through his subconscious. Nietzscheans prides, the Kodiak and the Drago-Kazov, have their guns turned on one another. The Kodiak women and children running and hiding, trying to take cover. The blood from the fallen soaks the ground and the wounded are unfortunately left to suffer. They are seen as inferior and their failure to survive will not be tolerated... that is, if any of them live to rebuild their quickly dwindling pride. Through the chaos, Tyr's visions focus on a man... a tall, dark-skinned Nietzschean alpha male; intimidating and undeniably brutal. He is being attacked from all sides, yet he seems virtually unable to be defeated. One after another, he cuts his enemies down, leaving carnage in his wake. He feels this battle is in his pride's favor and soldiers onward. This is the notion that is blocking out the feelings of fatigue and the excruciating pain of his wounds. After slaying the last of the enemy warriors, he lets out a powerful growl announcing that he is victorious. When it seems the Drago-Kazov's numbers are lessening, suddenly a second wave of attackers come charging toward him in full force. He fears that he and his pride will pay for his premature prediction and feverishly tries to gather what's left his family, as do the others. Ducking rapid gunfire by hiding behind trees and crouching under the brush, he heads for a small cottage. 

"Victoria!!" he cries out, hoping he will not be struck down before she hears him. "Victoria!!" he cries out again.

Crouching on the floor, away from the window, a beautiful, dark-skinned, but fair-complexed Nietzschean woman sits, motionless. Cradled in her arms is her 13 year old son. She hears a voice in the distance calling her name. She lifts up her head to get a better listen and after signaling to her son to stay put, she slowly creeps to the window for a quick glimpse outside. She sees a man being shot at, running at break-neck speed toward the house. She realizes this is her husband.

"Babarossa... we are here!!" she replies. "Hurry!!"

Relieved by the sound of his wife's voice, he heads for the cottage. The gunfire is more intensified now as he is no longer able to out run it. With about a dozen Dragons on his tail, he decides to turn and stand his ground. Fighting valiantly, their bodies are dropping one right after the other and when it seemed the last had fallen, he continues his retreat to the cottage. Unbeknownst to him, nestled in the trees, a Dragon has his gun aimed on him and has prepared his shot. He pulls the trigger, and the blast shatters the side of Babarossa's cranium. His death was almost instant. Victoria screams out in anguish as her husband's body falls to the earth. The Dragon, not even a second into his celebration of the death of alpha male he had slain, hears his chance for an additional notch on his belt. He motions to the rest of his pride that more potential victims lie inside the cottage, but assures them that he can handle this alone. 

Victoria, left without the chance to mourn her dead husband, quickly turns her attention to the survival of her and her son at all cost. Seeing the Dragon approaching, she safely tucks away her son beneath the house by removing some floorboards. 

"Stay here, my son" Victoria says as reassuringly as she possibly could. "No matter what you hear, no matter how bad it might sound... do not come out of hiding." "You must stay strong for me and... and for your father." "Do you understand?"

The boy nods in compliance. She presses her forehead close to his and looks upon him as if this might be the last time she sees his face. Before she could get too emotional, she hastily replaces the floorboards. 

Drawing the last ounce of strength she has left, she waits for her assailant to enter. As he walks through the door, she spreads her bone spurs and with one forceful thrust, she plunges them into his abdomen. His cries of pain send an alert to the rest of the pride who, in turn, heads toward the cottage. Victoria, overwhelmed by their number, deduces that she should flee in an opposite direction to divert attention away from the cottage and away from her son. Thinking she could out race them, she makes a run for it out the back and into the woods. The Dragons see her entering the woods and are in hot pursuit. 

The boy, worried about his mother and thinking he's alone in the cottage, lifts up the floorboards and wiggles out of his hiding place. He has nothing on his mind but revenge for his father's death and wanting safety for his mother in her current situation. He grabs the knife of the Dragon that his mother left dead on the floor and heads in the woods to help her any way he could. 

The running seemed like it took forever. All the scenery looked the same... a revolting combination of green leaves and grasses saturated with blood and the ground littered with stiffening corpses. He felt he would never find his mother, that is until he heard some faint voices in the distance. He peered from behind a tree to see his mother, tied to a tree, surrounded by the Drago-Kazov. They've captured her.

"You killed Moloch, Kodiak bitch!!" shouted the Drago ringleader, hitting her in the face with the back of his fist. 

Blood is drizzling from her bottom lip, but Victoria absorbs the force of the blow, not allowing herself to shed a tear in pain. She will not give them the satisfaction of seeing her become weak.

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth... and a life for a life." she says, sneering at them. "He killed my husband, you Dragon bastard!" and she spits blood in his face. 

The ringleader is angered and disgusted by her act of defiance. He grabs her by the throat, and presses a sharp knife blade against her windpipe. She starts to breathe heavily, feeling the fear in her creep up her spine. Reading her current emotional state like a book, he starts to laugh.

"Is that... fear I smell on you?" he said, chuckling in her ear. "Oh, I can't tell you how much I am going to enjoy watching you die." "Very...much...indeed." He presses the blade further into her flesh as the others anticipate the impending execution.

"Any last words, Kodiak bitch?" sneered the Drago ringleader. 

Out the corner of her eye, she catches a glimpse her son looking on from behind a tree. She lets the fear overtake her, but not for her own safety, but for the safety of her son. He is frozen as his and her eyes lock on one another. It was like she put him under a spell. Under her breath, she lets a single word pass her quivering lips...

"Tyr." 

Her throat is slit from ear to ear shortly afterwards. 

Tyr awakens immediately in a cold sweat.


	2. The Rude Awakening

Part II: The Rude Awakening  
  


The next night's dreams are just as relentless as the previous night's. The memories he thought were pushed back the farthest in his mind were now the only things he could see. This time, they are a lot more vivid; images moving at a lightning fast pace, revealing more and more lost details.   
  


Around the same time Tyr is reliving his own personal downfall, Trance Gemini is experiencing her own personal triumph. She excitedly drags Beka Valentine into Hydroponics to show her what she's been working on.   
  


"What is it that you just HAD to show me, Trance?" said a slightly annoyed Beka.  
  


Trance giggles with delight as she points to a somewhat large in diameter, prickly green and yellow bush with large prickly, football-shaped pods hanging off of it. Trance carefully pulls one of them off to give Beka a closer look at it.   
  


"Okay, I give up... what is it?" questioned Beka.  
  


"Well, it's an ancient plant that use to grow on Earth that many people thought was extinct." remarked Trance. "It's called... a pineapple, although I think that's kinda a weird name for it since it doesn't look anything like a pine or an apple and..."   
  


"Umm... yea, that's nice, Trance." interruped Beka, quickly cutting her off before she got on a roll. "Does it do anything in particular?"  
  


Trance reaches for a plate with the mutilated remains of pineapple she tried to cut herself without much success.   
  


"Here, try one...sorry about the mess."  
  


"You've never had the stomach to hurt your own plants."   
  


"I know, but I try to think that he's in a better place now."  
  


Beka takes a chunk of the yellow fleshly part and places it in her mouth. A look of instant pleasure shows on her face.  
  


"Yea, my stomach... this stuff is great. You did a really good job, Trance."  
  


"Thanks, Beka. I want to give one to everyone as a present... especially Tyr."  
  


Beka had continued to gobble on more and more pineapple chunks and almost choked on Trance's suggestion.  
  


"Tyr?!"   
  


"Yea, why not? I think it would be a really nice gesture. He's the only one on this ship that I'm not very close to. I get along with you and Dylan and Harper and Rev and even Rommie. I think Tyr just tolerates me, but I really want him to like me. I just want him to know that I want to be his friend too. "  
  


Beka wraps her arm around Trance's shoulder, comforting her.  
  


"Trance... I had no idea you felt that way. A word of advice...don't sweat how he is. His attitude isn't just limited to you. He has a wall around him 3 feet thick and I doubt a pineapple plant is going to break through that."   
  


"But you don't know that for sure."  
  


Beka sits Trance down and takes a seat next to her.  
  


"Tyr isn't one for 'nice gestures' and besides, what would be the point... you two have very little in common and I think he wants to keep it that way. So, word to the wise... you might wanna try 86ing that 'being buddies with Tyr' idea."  
  


Then, Beka points to the plate of pineapple chunks.   
  


"Oh... can I finish the rest of this?"   
  


"Umm...sure, go ahead."  
  


"Thanks, Trance."   
  


Beka continues devouring pineapple chunks, murmuring to herself as she turns to leave Hydroponics. Once Beka is out of sight, Trance goes over what she said many times in her head, but manages to come back to her own original decision. Carefully, she plucks a fresh pineapple off the plant and heads for Tyr's quarters.   
  


As she is heading his way with her little peace offering, Tyr's brain is being mercilessly bombarded with the painful scenes of his past.   
  


This nightmare continues his visions of him at the age of 13, having just witnessed the execution of his mother, Victoria. The blood rushes heavily from the slit in her neck as her body goes limp. The Dragon ringleader wipes his blade on his forearm covering and replaces it in its sheath. He then proceeds looting the dead woman of her jewelry and other personal items of value, including her double helix armband. The others smile in approval of his cruel actions. Young Tyr's fear for his mother's life turns instantly into a unadulterated rage. He tightly grips his knife in his hand, trembling with anger, he is determined to kill anyone that comes toward the tree he's concealed behind. He hears the footsteps of someone approaching and prepares to attack.  
  


The footsteps in his dream overlap those of Trance's as she is walking toward him, pineapple in tow. She sees he is asleep and doesn't want to disturb him. As she is turning to walk out, she hears him groaning heavily and tossing and turning in his sleep. She becomes concerned and begins approaching him again to see if she could maybe snap him out of it.   
  


"Tyr... are you alright?" she says softly. "You don't sound too good."  
  


Still deeply engrossed in his dream state, Tyr has also prepared himself for an attack. In his conscious world, underneath his pillow, he is holding a sharp dagger waiting to strike.   
  


In the dream, young Tyr hears the footsteps and voice coming in his direction also waiting to strike.   
  


Both Tyrs are breathing heavily gripping their weapons tightly in their hands.  
  


Then... at precisely the same time, they feel someone grab them on their shoulders. Tyr grabs what he thinks is his assailant, flips them onto the bed and puts the blade to their neck. The scream is not that of the Dragon-Kazov he murdered some 20 years ago, but the high-pitched squeals of a scared Trance pleading for her life.  
  


"Tyr... wake up! It's me... Trance! Please...wake up!" 


	3. Unknown Contact

Part III: Unknown Contact

Grunting heavily with sweat trickling down his bare chest, a half asleep Tyr opens his eyes finding himself in an awkward position laying directly on top of Trance, blade in hand. She is trembling like a leaf at thought of almost having her cute little purple head severed from the rest of her body. He's is confused by how he ended up trying to kill her instead of who he thought was the Drago pride member.

"Trance!?"

"H-Hi?" 

He drops the blade on the floor and rolls off of her. He sit on the side of his bed, shock by what he almost did to her. His brief feelings of remorse for almost murdering an innocent bystander soon are replaced by his pompous Nietzschean attitude of placing blame for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"W-What are you doing in my quarters?!" he says angrily.

Trance sits up next to him still trying to shake off her near death experience and Tyr's thunderous voice scolding her isn't helping to ease the situation.

"I-I came to g-give you a present and... and I-I heard noises and... and I thought you were in trouble." 

"Any noises coming out of here are none of your concern, child!"

"I'm... sorry. I just wanted... to see if you needed my help." she says, barely above a whisper. 

"I - I'm fine, Trance. I was... just... remembering things I haven't thought of in a long time."

"What things?"

"Just... things that happened in my youth, that's all."

"Do you want to talk about it? I'm a really good listener. I think it would be in your best interest if you just..." insisted Trance. 

Desperately wanting this sugary sweet, heart to heart to end before he got a cavity or lapsed into a diabetic coma, Tyr tries to downplay the entire experience so she will finally leave.

"And I think... it would be in your best interest... if you left now."

"Okay... I'll go."

With her voice breaking, trying not to cry in front of him, Trance slinks off Tyr's bed and quickly leaves his room. Her hurt feelings and misconstrued intentions were starting to work their way through the hidden chink in Tyr's Nietzschean armor of indifference for others. He is constantly trying to grasp the idea that there are people in the world that care about his well being, but is still finding it somewhat unnerving. Knowing Trance's usual forgiving nature, he shakes off his growing remorse for snapping at her for the moment to figure out why all of these hurtful memories are resurfacing after all of these years. What would be the point of all this now? 

Just then Andromeda, in holographic form, appears in front of him.

"Tyr, Dylan needs to see you on Command Deck." 

"Is this terribly important because if not, I'd rather be left alone." 

"It sounds rather urgent." 

Waiting on the Command Deck, Capt. Dylan Hunt has just steered the ship through the Slipstream to a vast cluster of unknown planets. He looks curiously at them trying to figure out the Andromeda's current whereabouts. 

"Rommie, tell us our coordinates." 

"Capt. Hunt, I can't find anything in my database about these clusters of planets."

"So, you're saying we're lost?"

"Not necessarily. I _do_ know our coordinates... I just can't seem to find anything about any planets that are suppose to be here. It was almost like they were... _built _overnight.

Just as Rommie was reporting the status of their situation, Tyr finally arrives. 

"What is this business about some unknown planets?" Tyr remarks.

"Rommie was just telling me that we've seemed to have stumbled on some mysterious planets that seemingly just... appeared in this sector of space."

"Do we know who lives on them, if anyone?"

"Not yet, but we are trying to set up contact now."

By Dylan's command, Andromeda sends out a signal into space in the direction of one of the planets in hopes that they will make a connection. Dylan then begins his address to whomever or whatever is out there.

"This is Capt. Dylan Hunt of the Starship Andromeda. If you can here this, please identify yourselves."

For a little while, there is nothing but deafening silence. Just when Dylan is about to order the transmittion to be cut, that's when a faint murmuring begins. At first, it's a little hard to understand, but after awhile, it starts to get a little louder. Suddenly, a fuzzy picture begins coming through on the computer screen.

"Stay... zzz....away...zzz... or... zzz...die!"

Then, the transmittion abruptly ends. 


	4. The Rescue Mission...Complete With Stowa...

Part IV: The Rescue Mission... Complete With Stowaway  
  


"My crew and I do not take kindly to being threatened. We are on a mission to rebuild the New Commonwealth, not to bring harm to you. I will ask once again to please identify yourself." Dylan demanded.  
  
"No...zzz... threat... we... zzz... are... zzz... forgotten...zzz... we... zzz... are... zzz... damned...leave... zzz... us... zzz... in... zzz... Hell."   
  
The transmittion goes dead for a second time. Dylan tries desperately to get the signal back again, feeling whoever sent it is in some sort of direst.  
  
"This is Capt. Dylan Hunt, please tell me the nature of your situation. Can you hear me? Dammit!!"   
  
"I am no longer receiving a signal. Transmittion has been terminated." Rommie reports.   
  
"Now what?" questioned Tyr, but knowing Dylan's diligence of being the "righter of all wrongs", he knew the answer to this question and wasn't particularly looking forward to hearing it.   
  
"I think you know the answer to that already, Tyr. We are going down there to see what the situation is." Tyr hates being right about such things.  
  
"What in the hell is wrong with you!!" shouted a venom-spouting Tyr. "Number one... we don't know where these planets came from nor do we have ANY IDEA who or WHAT is living on them and number two... we don't even know IF these people want to be rescued, that is... if they are 'people' at all! How do we know that this whole thing isn't just part of some elaborate trap?!"  


"You know what, Tyr... I don't know the answers to any of that either." said a calm Dylan. "But, what I DO know is that I can't walk away without find out for sure. If I want this dream of the New Commonwealth to come to life, it has to include everyone... and I mean 'everyone'."  


"Even if it means foolishly risking our lives for no good reason?" Tyr said sternly, wanting to make his disapproval very clear to Dylan.   


"What can I say... life IS risk. I'm not saying that I'm going down there waving a white flag..." Tyr opens his mouth, getting ready to agree with his statement but Dylan cuts him off and continues. "...BUT, I want to make it absolutely clear that we will NOT be going in there with guns blazing either. We will take the necessary safety precautions, WITHOUT looking like we want to start a war. Is that quite understandable?"  
  
"I can never and WILL NEVER, understand the inner workings of a suicide mission." grumbled Tyr, as he stared out the window at the abomination that housed what he fears will claim all of their lives.   
Heading down to the deck that holds the beaten up, rusted hull that is the Eureka Maru, Dylan fills Beka and Rev Bem on their current set of circumstances and what their duties are to be.  


"Beka, you stay here and command the ship during mine and Tyr's absences. Rev, tell Harper to get the rescue pods ready just in case this distress call is legit. If not, then it's yours and Beka's job to be ready to get us the hell out of there if things go wrong." said Dylan, wanting to make himself perfectly clear.   


"Don't worry... you can count on me." grinned Beka. Dylan grins back and joins his slightly peeved traveling companion, Tyr, who was already on the Maru.   
  
"Come on, let's go!" spat Tyr, as hanger door opens up and the Maru lifts off heading into the night sky. "The sooner we get this ridiculous "rescue mission" over with, the sooner we can return safely."   


"Tyr, try to be a little more optimistic."  
  
"You be the 'optimist', I'll be the realist!"  


The Maru manages to finds a window through the enormous planet's atmosphere and cautiously ventures through it. The planet's gravity is causing them to experience great amount of turbulence. They realize almost immediately that this isn't going to be one of their smoother landings. Tyr tries with all of his Nietzschean might to steer the ship onto a suitable landing strip. He finds it in a broad, sandy clearing by a rather large body of water. He lands the ship, bumping it along the ground a few feet until it finally came to an abrupt stop. Dylan and Tyr both looked like hell run over, astounded that they survived the trip.   


"Well, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Dylan says jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. Tyr gave him a icy glare. He was still not amused. "Gee, tough room. Let's just... go see what's waiting for us, shall we?"  
  
"Let me get some reinforcements before we do that, shall we?" Tyr remarks sarcastically. Just as he is about to open the storage bin where the extra weapons are kept, Tyr hears a faint noise coming from inside of it. He quietly informs Dylan of his discovery, which causes him to grab his forcelance. With their weapons drawn, Tyr reaches for the handle and, like a flash, he swings open the door.   


"Stop! Don't shoot me!!"  
  
"Trance!?" they both say, in unison.  
  
  
  



	5. Trouble In Paradise

Part V: Trouble In Paradise

"I would expect by now you would grow tired of having weapons being pulled on you, child." growled Tyr, making Trance even more nervous.

"Actually I am, so could you not pointing those things at me, please?" 

"What are you doing here and why were you hiding in there?" questioned Dylan. Tyr remembered his and Trance's earlier encounter and didn't want to hear Dylan remark on how wrong he was for scaring the poor girl on to the Maru and into a possibly dangerous situation, so he quickly answers for her. "I told her to be here." 

"You what?" said Dylan and Trance, in unison. 

"Remember, Trance, when you came to my quarters and said you wanted to be of some help...?" urged Tyr, signaling her to agree with him. Trance understood his body language and nodded her head in agreement.

"Umm...yea, yea... and later you told me to hide in the weapons locker and not to let myself be discovered until we reach the planet so Dylan wouldn't tell me I couldn't go with you, right?" inquired Trance, making sure that her lie met with his approval. 

Dylan was confused and frankly, very angered with the recent turn of events. "Tyr, why would you make this kind of decision without consulting me about it!" Already on edge about unwillingly going on this trip in the first place, Tyr was not about to let Dylan get in his face.

"Listen to me, Capt. Hunt... try to remember that I DID NOT want to come on your mission of possible death, but since I am here against my better judgement, if I were you I would be VERY grateful! This child has the power to see into the future. She can see dangers we can't and that could be a tremendous asset for us." Trance hears what Tyr is trying to pitch and tries to interject. 

"But Tyr, my visions are limited. I just get these momentary flashes sometimes..." 

"Exactly! She can't do this anytime she wants." Dylan quickly adds. 

"I would rather have limited vision than complete blindness." Tyr noted, reaching in the locker for the weapons he was trying to find. "At least with her, we better our chances of survival." Dylan, realizing that he does have a valid argument and returning Trance to the ship is virtually impossible at this point, he reluctantly agrees to let her stay and help out. As they are heading through the hatch doors of the Maru, Trance's face lights up with a smile thinking of how Tyr covered for her being there. She knew that it was just to divert attention away from their previous confrontation, but this was the closest thing to a compliment she was ever going to get from him, no matter how typically self-serving it was. So, she was grateful.

The three of them step out of the Maru onto the wet sand. The beautiful tropical scenery was absolutely breath-taking. It was to the point it made Dylan and Trance speechless, though it seemed to have had the opposite affect on Tyr. It made him even more cautious.

"This place is so pretty." smiled Trance, staring at the waves breaking on the rocks. "I can't imagine anyone having the kind of troubles you described if they lived here."

"Exactly." stated Tyr, worrying about how easily seduced the other two are by the surroundings. "It smells like a trap."

"Well, we'll never know unless we investigate." explained Dylan, as he is walking farther up the beach. "Let's go see what's beyond those trees." 

With Dylan leading the way, they walk up the beach into a heavily wooded area. The lush plants and wildlife were like something out of Trance's wildest dreams. She couldn't help but point to all the rare and exotic flowers and brightly colored birds. "Dylan, look at that pretty blue and red bird over there!" 

"If memory serves me correctly, I think that's a parrot. It's strange because I thought they died out centuries ago. As a matter of fact, most of the plants and animals I've seen so far are suppose to be extinct."

Getting slightly irritated, Tyr snaps them back to the task at hand. "Can we please stop the sightseeing and try to get back to what it is we came here to do?!" 

"I wish we could stay for a little while longer." Trance says with a whimper, sad that she doesn't have more time to admire these beautiful new wonders. 

"Tyr's right... we have to keep going." 

The walking kept on with no ending in sight. No sign of any human (or non-human) inhabitants found anywhere, just a perpetual jungle filled with strange plants and wild animals. Trance was growing tired and Tyr was growing impatient. 

"Can we stop for a little while? I can't walk much further. My feet are hurting." informed Trance, leaning against a tree, rubbing her feet. 

"This might go a little faster if you could try to point us in the right direction. Isn't that the reason you were invited to come along in the first place?" Dylan reminded her, hinting to her that he's knows that really wasn't the truth. 

"Oh, yeah... I forgot about that." Trance looks in each direction and concentrates, trying to feel for a vibe. She starts getting little flashes of images in her head... images of a brutal hunt in progress. They are disturbing her greatly.

"Trance, what do you see?" asks Dylan, not liking the look of terror on her face. "What's happening?" 

Trance opens her eyes and points westward. "It's coming from over there. I see... men in a huge vehicle chasing someone. It looks like... like they're chasing a small child."

Confused, Dylan and Tyr look in the direction that Trance is pointing in, seeing and hearing nothing. "Are you sure about that, Trance?" Dylan asked. 

"Umm... kinda sure."

"Kinda sure?"

"Pretty sure."

"Okay... I guess that's the direction we're going."

"Oh, this is just ridiculous!" protested Tyr. "We are already in the middle of nowhere and are about to venture more deeply into it based on 'kinda sure'?!"

"No... based on 'pretty sure' and besides, she's usually pretty accurate."

"Dylan, I have had just about enough...!" 

Just then, in the distance, there is a low rumbling that's slowly building, getting louder and louder and louder. Out of the blue, running through the brush is the child Trance saw in her vision... a small girl. Panting and crying, she is racing like the wind toward where they are standing. With her eyes shrink wrapped with tears, not being able to see what's in front of her, she slams right into Trance knocking them both to the ground. The child lands on top of her, sobbing uncontrollably. Her words are hard to understand.

"H-Help m-m-me." she says above a whisper, completely out of breath. "They're... c-coming."

"Who's coming?" said a concerned Dylan. Before the child could open her mouth, the once low rumbling become a deafening thunder as a monstrous, 20 foot tall vehicle comes crashing through the trees, roaring in their direction.


	6. Battle And Bonding

Part VI: Battle and Bonding

"**Run, now**!!" screamed Tyr, running in the opposite direction away from the barreling machine coming their way. Dylan and Trance, with the little girl in tow, follow close behind him. They are trying with all their might, but they can barely outrun the gargantuan monster. As the vehicle gains momentum, Tyr gets an idea. "Everyone split up!!" 

They follow his orders by branching off from one another in different directions. Tyr continued to run forward back toward the beach and the Maru in hopes that the machine will chase him to what he has planned for it. Trance, putting the child on her hip, headed west until she reaches some rock formations. She saw something in them that looked like a small cave. She and the child crawls in and hides just behind its narrow opening. Dylan headed east toward what he thought would just be more jungle until, all of a sudden, he loses his footing as the earth beneath his feet begins to crumble from underneath him. The huge plants in front of him has obstructed his view to the point that he didn't realize he was on the edge of a very high cliff. He continues plunging to what he thinks is an untimely death, only to have his fall broken with a refreshing embrace. He falls into the waters of a lagoon. 

Their mechanical nemesis realizes that it has loss track of the child it was seeking, but ventures onward toward the beach in hopes of finding her. It is unaware that Tyr is waiting for its arrival. Meanwhile, Dylan has crawled on shore after pulled himself out of the waters of the lagoon, coughing and sputtering, thankful that he's alive. He looks up at the edge of the cliff trying to figure out how he's going to get back to where he was. Trance and the girl wrap their arms around each other cowering in the shelter of the cave, hoping that Tyr and Dylan were safe. The girl was quietly sobbing, laying her head on Trance's chest. 

"Shh, it's okay." Trance says reassuringly. "I'm not going to let them hurt you. Whoever they are." She peers out of the cave trying to see if she could spot Tyr, Dylan, or the horrid machine. 

Running through the hatch doors of the Maru, Tyr hops into the driver's seat and starts the craft's engines. The rusted, beaten up ship start to slowly lift off and hover over the beach. He positions the Maru towards the opening of the wooded area and waits patiently for the metal vehicle to emerge. 

"Now it's time to fight fire with fire." Tyr said under his breath. "Show yourself, dammit." 

Not even seconds after uttering his words, the behemoth crashes through the brush to the open beach area. The vehicle neither stops nor slows down, even after seeing the Maru hovering in front of it. It was like a strange game of Chicken that was starting between these two massive giants, neither wanting to back down from the other. 

"You dare to want to challenge me?!" Tyr proclaimed. "I... gladly... accept." 

The two start at one another as Tyr guns the Maru forward. The armored monster shifts gears and starts to drive faster and faster. Then, suddenly the back of it start to open revealing to Tyr eight large missiles inside, ready to fire. Aiming squarely on the Maru, the first four are launched and by using some evasive maneuvers, Tyr steers the ship out of the line of fire from every one of them. The explosions of the near misses echo on for miles. They frighten Trance and the little girl believing the worst had happen to Tyr, Dylan or both. A worried Dylan, who had started his ascend up the cliff with the use of some vines he found, after hearing the explosions, begins hurrying his pace so he could try to help Tyr. Tyr begins to grow tired of being this thing's target and starts to retaliate.

"You have no idea what you've started, have you? Well, I'm going to show how great an error in judgement that was."

Having already lined up its shot, the Maru's belly starts to slowly open up revealing the massive plasma gun Tyr rigged up inside it. The men inside the armored vehicle quickly realized the errors of their ways and planned for a quick getaway but Tyr was not about to let them have that chance. As the metal monster was turning around to head back into the sanctity of the woods, Tyr activates the gun's firing mechanism and in seconds, the huge silver machine explodes into a mushroom cloud of fire, smoke and ashes along with its two occupants. Tyr throws his hands up in triumph. 

The vibrations of the explosion were felt by Dylan as he finally managed to pull himself onto the edge of the cliff. He starts racing toward the beach to see what's happened. Trance, with the child in her lap, has also heard the explosion and also wanted to know the severity of the situation. 

"Sweetie, you have to stay here for a little while. I have to go check on my friends to see if they're alright. Don't come out of here until I come back for you, okay?" 

"Please don't leave me!" the child sobbed. "They'll get me if you go!" 

"Shh, don't worry... I won't let them get you. Just stay in here and don't make a sound. I'll come back real, real soon." 

Before tucking her back into the cave, Trance kisses the child on top of her head. The girl, in turn, hugs her around her waist and goes back into her hiding place. Trance then begins her run back toward the beach.

Meanwhile, Tyr had landed the Maru and was headed back into the wood to find the rest of them when he suddenly ran into a out-of-breath Dylan. 

"What... happened?!" gasped Dylan, fighting for his next breath. 

"We've won." Tyr cryptically said. Confused by his vague statement, Dylan peers through the trees at the fiery inferno Tyr has left on the beach. 

"God, I'm glad that's over." sighed Dylan. "Now, let's see if we can find Trance and..." But before he could get the rest of his sentence out, Trance appears right behind him. 

"Dylan! Tyr! I heard explosions. Are you two okay?" 

"We're fine, Trance. How's the girl and where is she?" inquired Dylan.

"I got worried about you two, so I told her to stay put in the cave we were hiding in so I could go looking for you. It's not too far away from here. What happened to that big machine?" 

"Obliterated." stated Tyr, pointing toward the beach and the mountainous blaze he created. 

"Do you think there's more of them out there?" inquired Trance. 

"I, personally, don't want to stay around to find out." Tyr insisted, trying to hint to Dylan that they should leave. 

"Before we decided whether to stay or leave, let's first find the cave where the little girl is and find out from her what's going on around here." Dylan suggested. 

With Trance leading the way, they headed back toward the rock formations. The girl was waiting in the mouth of the cave for their return. She practically jumps into Trance's arm, ecstatic to see her. Trance giggles at the sweet gesture.

"See, I told you I would come back." smiled a reassuring Trance as Dylan and Tyr stand back and finally get a chance to look at the child. She has a beautiful mahogany complexion with wavy black hair flowing down her back and is dressed very poorly. She looks about five or six years of age. After lavishing her love and affection all over Trance, the girl finally acknowledges Dylan and Tyr's presence and offers her gratitude

"Thank you for saving me. My name is Almira Brabazon... out of Lilka by Balthasar. Tyr's interests are immediately perked as he recognizes the typically Nietzschean introduction. He kneels down to Almira's level to get a good look at her.

"I am Tyr Anasazi... out of Victoria by Barbarossa." he says with a slight smile. Suddenly, the child gives him the most unusual look. He doesn't know how to translate it. 

"Barbarossa... son of Temujin?" 

"Yes, he was"

Almira had a look of confusion on her face at first, but then, it was replaced with a beaming smile.

"You are Kodiak?" 

"I am."

"So am I." 


	7. The Homecoming King

Part VII: The Homecoming King

Tyr was completely and utterly speechless. To him, this was the equivalent of finding the Holy Grail or the lost city of Atlantis. For so long, he had searched for other Kodiak pride members only to have his efforts turn up nothing and now, with the discovery of this Kodiak child, his dream of reestablishing and rebuilding his lost pride was just in his arms' reach. His lips begin to tremble as he is trying to find the words to say to her astonishing revelation. 

"I... thought that... I was the only one left." Tyr braces himself for Almira's answer to his next crucial question. His eyes begin to wander, trying not to make eye-contact just in case the answer is not the one he wants to hear. "Are there... anymore of our pride members here?"

At first, Almira stands and stares at him, stone-faced and silent, giving him the most tense and uneasy feeling. Then, her mouth softens into a reassuring smile. "Yes... there are more of us here." 

Tyr softly but firmly places his hands on either side of her face. A stream of tears trickles down his face, but he is too busy laughing to acknowledge them. She laughs along with him, realizing that her pride's remaining numbers had grown by one member. This, indeed, was an especially joyful day for both of them.

Tyr, now realizing his loss of control in the presence of Dylan and Trance, wipes the tears off his face, regains his composure and stands to his feet. He tries to downplay the whole verbal exchange between him and Almira, but it was useless. Dylan and Trance already knew the importance of this information to Tyr, even though he has never actually told them his feelings about his pride's conquer or his efforts to find survivors like him. Still, they were extremely happy for him. 

"This is such wonderful news!" Trance proclaimed. "You've finally found your lost pride."

"No." Almira stated. "_We've_ finally found _you_ and not a moment too soon, Tyr. We can use all the help we can get." 

"That's an understatement." Dylan agreed. "Almira, tell us... what's the story on that machine? What did it want?"

"There will be time for all your questions to be answered, but first we must get back home before they send another one." she said, hurrying them along.

Before they could inquire any further into the matter, Almira embarks on her journey to her home. She motions them to follow her. They all headed toward the heart of the vastly overwhelming jungle. The farther they go, the more the vegetation seems to thicken. Then, all of a sudden, Almira stops dead in her tracks. Her eyes are peering all around, seemingly trying to search for something. 

"Almira, what's wrong?" asked a slightly worried Trance. Almira keeps searching for whatever she is looking for. Then, her eyes focus on a strangely perfect circle of trees. She smiles and heads toward them. 

"Come over here, I've found it." she announces. Puzzled by the excitement generated by a bunch of trees, the three follow her anyway, hoping to be enlightened. 

"This is the village." she proclaims, excitedly. In an instant, Tyr's joy had turned into puzzlement and that puzzlement turned into anger. If this child's intention was to turn his personal anguish into some sort of childish prank, he was **not **amused in the least. 

"Is this your idea of a joke, child?" hissed Tyr, in a most uncomfortable and intimidating tone of voice. "I see **no** village here...! "

"Maybe... she's trying to tell us that the village is hidden here." declared Dylan, before Tyr could get any angrier. Almira smiles and nods in agreement with Dylan. She then stands directly in the middle of the circle of trees, pulls a small digital device out of her pocket and holds it to her mouth.

"Almira Brabazon... Alpha 3625 Lambda Z R 7." After finishing the sequence, a few seconds pass. Then, suddenly the earth beneath their feet begins to tremble... starting off as a small vibration and then escalating into a larger tremor, putting them off balance. 

**"Get ready everyone!!** **Here it comes!!"** Almira screamed, over the rumbling. Before they could ask her what was coming, the ground begins sinking inward with them on top of it. Their initial reaction is to jump off onto solid ground, but Almira motions them to stay put. The platform they are standing on continues to lower farther into the earth until it reaches what seems to be a massive underground corridor, made entirely out of steel. Almira jumps off the platform and the rest follow. She goes to her left and presses a large red button on the wall panel. At the same time, their platform elevator goes back up to the surface and the lights in the corridor turn on one right after the other, showing off more and more of it. It was an immense and impressive piece of engineering ingenuity, considering the pride's lack of resources. 

"Tyr, this is the corridor leading to the village." states Almira. "Follow me." Tyr's anticipation of seeing his fellow Kodiak pride members was becoming unbearable. Slowly, he follow her to the end of the now heavily lit corridor until they reach an enormous steel door. Guarded by a eye scanner/voice recognition system, Almira presses her face against the eye scanner plate and as the laser passes through her corneas, she repeats her personal code into the voice recognition speaker. In an instant, she is approved for entrance and the massive steel door opens. Entering the door, Tyr is completely taken aback by what he now sees. He expect a small village with maybe a handful of pride members in it, but instead, he is in the mist of a vast, prospering metropolis with over two hundred Kodiak pride members inhabiting it! Not as big as the pride was in its past, but still it was much more that he expected. The emotions in his heart where overwhelming him. Almira sees the astonishment in his eyes, and grabs him by the hand.

"Tyr Anasazi... welcome home." 

  
  
  
  



	8. New City and Old Ties

Part VIII: New City and Old Ties

Calling this place a "village" is the understatement of the millennium. This breathtaking mixture of steel, glass, black marble, and state-of-the art technology, engulfed all in white light, it is a piece of architecture that is as unprecedented as it is captivating. Even the hallowed halls, buildings, and streets of the now mythical Tarn Vedra pales in comparison.

The platform elevator they were lowered on and the steel door they entered didn't go to the exact location of the "village," it just led them to the steel balcony that overlooked it. The village is actually much further into the ground...more than 100 feet. 

"Tyr, this is our new city... Caimile. It means "a family is born"or in this case, a family is 'reborn'. Is it all that you thought it would be?" asked Almira, hoping the pride's progress since the clan war met with his approval. 

"More... much more." Tyr expressed, under his breath. 

"It's so beautiful..." remarked Trance, just as breathless as Tyr. "...and bright."

"Then, let's go down and greet everyone." 

Almira motions them to follow her to the opposite end of the balcony where the elevator was waiting to take them down. As they step in and the doors shut, the anticipation was about to tear Tyr apart. His heart is racing so fast, he thinks it might explode. As the elevator reaches the bottom level, he holds his breath as the doors slide open. 

As she leads them through the crowded passageways, he was struck with the sight and sounds of his pride members prospering. Walking about, he sees the married Kodiak men roughhousing with their sons, sharpening their warrior skills and the others without children are taking inventory of pride's food and weaponry. The Kodiak women with mates are caring for their newborn babies and are trying to reprimanding their older children who are running all about. The other women who have yet to chose a mate are sitting on the sidelines watching a sparring match between two Kodiak males. As these two giant Alphas are trying to overpower the other, the women are in anticipation of the fight's outcome because the one left standing will indeed make them first-time wives and mothers. The commotion was almost the way he remembered it as a child. He _has _returned home. 

"I'm going to introduce you to our matriarch, Tyr. She will want to speak with you." informed Almira, as they head for her quarters. "If you have any questions, she is the one with the answers." 

"Answers would be very good right about now." said Dylan, reminding them of their initial reason for coming here. Not that he wasn't happy for Tyr, but there are bigger things at stake here than just the discovery of his missing pride, like the fact that someone or _something_ is trying to hunt them down. 

Upon entering the matriarch's quarters, the four stumble in on what seems to be a very heated exchange between a large, muscular male and an older, slightly smaller female. They stand in the shadow of the doorway only managing to catch the end of their argument. 

"If you go through with this plan of yours, they will strike us down without a second thought! What you are proposing is pure genocide!!" shouted the older female to the male. 

"They sent out one of their mobile prison units again! It came while we were out today and I haven't been able to find her. The only conclusion I've come to is that she's been captured. They will pay with their lives if she is harmed and I really don't care what you have to say to me. I'm going out there to get her back!!" 

"Father!!" shouted Almira, running out from the shadow of the doorway heading in the man's direction. The man and the woman stop and stare in utter amazement. 

"Almira!!" cried the man, taking her in his arms, swinging her around. "I thought you were captured! What happened to you?!" 

She looked in direction of the doorway and motioned them to step forward into the light. They comply and just as Tyr brings himself into view, the older female's face turns as white as a sheet and is having problems catching her breath. It was like she had seen a ghost. Tyr notices her reaction, but is too busy receiving accolades from Almira's grateful father to give it any real investigation. 

"I am Balthasar Brabazon... out of Necia by Thane." He and Tyr greet one another with the entwining of their bone spurs. 

"I am Tyr Anasazi... out of Victoria by..." 

"Barbarossa." stated the older woman with complete and utter certainty. Tyr is understandably surprised.

"Do I know you, madam?" Tyr asks. She doesn't seem familiar to him. 

The woman approaches him, looks into his eyes, touches him about the face and strokes his long mane of dreadlocked hair. The whole experience is making him feel somewhat uncomfortable. Dylan and Trance look at one another, hoping to be let in on what is happening. 

"I never thought I would ever see this face again." said the woman, her voice slightly breaking. Tyr is now visibly shaken. This woman actually _recognizes_ him! He starts to look at her long, salt and pepper colored straight hair, dark eyes and mocha complexion more closely in hopes of remembering who she is. There is a shimmer of recognition, but sadly, not enough to place a name with her face. 

"Forgive me, madam, although you seem familiar, I am having some trouble remembering your name." Tyr says, reluctantly. His eyes start to wander, not wanting to make eye contact with her. Fortunately, the woman isn't offended that he doesn't totally remember her.

"It's quite understandable, Tyr. The last time we saw each other, I was a young girl and you were still small enough to hold in my arms. I remember when you wanted me to sneak you into the fast hold so you could look upon the remains of the Progenitor." Tyr could not believe what he was hearing.

"Yes... I remember now! How could I have forgotten?!" exclaims Tyr as all of these old memories begin to resurface. 

"Tyr, who is this woman?" inquired Dylan, feeling he and Trance have been kept in the dark long enough. 

She turns to them and answers, "I am Lysandra Mordeeai... out of Nitara by Barbarossa." 

Trance chimes in, "But Tyr, that's _your_ father's name." 

"Yes, Trance. Lysandra is my older sister." 


	9. Dire Straits

Part IX: Dire Straits

"Your **sister**?!" questioned Dylan, wanting to make sure he heard correctly, but his words fell on deaf ears. Tyr and Lysandra are too entranced by one another to hear him. Their intense gazes seem almost to the point of trying to commit the other's face to memory. Each thought that they were the last of the children their father sired, especially after witnessing so many of their siblings' deaths in the clan war... memories that have haunted them most of their lives. Tyr begins to affectionately touch her about the face just as she did him. It's as if he wants proof that she isn't just a figment of his imagination. Once he is satisfied that she truly is who she says she is, out of the blue, he takes her in his massive arms and gives her a brotherly embrace that lifts her off the ground. She, in turn, throws her arms around his neck, returning the loving gesture. Trance smiles as she's watching Lysandra's feet dangle. 

Without question, Dylan and Trance are floored by the startling turn of events. They, along with the rest of the crew, are only use to seeing Tyr as this emotionally distant, mercenary killer with no family, no pride and no home. Now, all of a sudden, he's hugging his long-lost sister? Just when Dylan thought he was close to having him all figured out, he's now being shown a whole other side to his personality. Tyr Anasazi... wearing his heart on his sleeve. The concept was strange and surreal as it was beautiful and touching. 

After being lowered back to the ground, Lysandra turns her attention to the tall, human male and small, purple female with the tail. "Tyr, who is this you have brought with you?" 

"My name is Capt. Dylan Hunt of the Starship Andromeda. This is my ship's Environmental Systems Officer, Trance Gemini." Trance gives a sheepish little wave. 

"So, you were the one trying to set up contact with us?"

"Yes."

"And the disembodied voices weren't enough of a warning not to come down here?"

"I was under the impression that someone was in some kind of trouble. I just wanted to see if I can help in any way."

Trance adds, "We all do." 

Lysandra starts to laugh out loud. Dylan and Trance are confused and slightly insulted by her reaction. She regains her composure and explains.

"My God... and they say chivalry is dead! The voices and our mysterious planets are usually are best scare tactic." 

"Come again?" asked Tyr, just as confused as the other two.

Just as she was about to answer, all of a sudden, a Nietzschean male enters her quarters. Out of breath, he is frantically requesting an audience with her. 

"Lysandra, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have received a hail." 

"Can't you see that I'm in the middle of something important...!"

"But, it's from _him_." 

Her eyes widen in disbelief and clutching her fists, a deep sigh passes her lips. Judging by her reaction, this isn't very good news. Afterwards, she regains enough of her composure to answer him. "Tell him... I'll be right there." The man obeys and exits the room. Then, Lysandra proceeds to turn over the table that sits in the center of her room in an unexpected, violent rage. The others are, of course, surprised by this sudden outburst. 

"God dammit!! Why now?!" 

"What in the hell was that about?!" asked a concerned Tyr. Lysandra just walks about mumbling to herself, looking angry and worried. He grabs her and looks into her eyes to get her attention. "Lysandra, tell me what's happened?!" 

"Tyr, it does my heart good to realize that my father's lineage will not die when I do, as I've always thought it would. But, my dear brother, you've chosen the worst possible time to stage a family reunion." With that, she turns and leaves the room to answer the hail. With their curiosities not satisfied by her cryptic answers, they follow her out of the room to see what was going on. They get as far as the outside of the door when she motions them to stay put. 

All of the commotion and comradery that was going on when they first entered the compound was now replaced with deafening silence. Tyr, Dylan and Trance watch her from the doorway of her quarters waiting for whatever is suppose to happen. The Kodiaks were also waiting for Lysandra to emerge. She walks slowly through the crowd to the large 20 X 20 foot computer screen suspended from the ceiling, centered in the middle of the village square. She folds her arms and takes a deep, cleansing breath trying to prepare for this "talk". 

"Bring him onscreen!" she commanded. Suddenly, an image appears on the huge screen. Tyr and the other two gasped. They couldn't believe who they were seeing. 

"Well, if it isn't you again. What can we do for you _this time_... Cuchulain." Lysandra demands. Realizing that their eyes weren't deceiving them, they takes a few steps backwards, retreating into the darkness of the doorway, but managing to stay within hearing range. 

"Oh Lysandra, I know that in your old age, you've probably are a little forgetful, but I'm sure you're not _that_ forgetful. You know damned well why I'm calling you." states Cuchulain, with the sarcasm just dripping from his tongue. He knows exactly how to press her buttons. 

"Why don't you just refresh my memory? I mean, you know how these little 'talks' of ours just seem to run together." She knows how to press his buttons too. 

He snickers to himself. "Very well, Lysandra. Do you know that so called 'lead' you gave us?"

"Why, yes I do."

"I've always thought you Kodiaks were people of honor. Well, old woman, it turns out that your lead led us on a wild goose chase." 

"Oh, I'm just _**so sorry**_ to hear that, Cuchulain." she says, very sarcastically 

The scathing smirk on his face begins to fade and his glare turns icy. "Not as sorry as you're _**going **_to be, old woman. Your stunt may have bought you some time, but it also dug your graves." The smile begins to leave her face as well. She is worried, but manages to stays steady and focused. 

"Up to this point, I believe I've been very lenient with you. All I do is send out the mobile prison units, capture your pride members, subject them to our special brand of 'interrogation' and if they don't have any useful information for me, I let them go. Plain and simple. But, Lysandra, you seem to possess this utter _audacity_ of throwing my generosity back in my face!" 

She grits her teeth and shows him the fire in her eyes. There are no words to describe the depths of loathing she feels for this man. "Forgive me, but is this the part where I'm suppose to thank you and the rest of the Drago Kazov pride members? Thank you Dragon bastards for what _exactly_? **Betraying us?! Hunting us down like dogs?! Making us practically extinct?!**" 

**"No!" **he interrupts, very forcefully."You've made yourselves practically extinct by holding on to something that has never belonged to you! Something that** will never **belonged to you!!" 

The thunderous tone in his voice startles her, but she'd die first before she'll ever let on. While listening in the shadows, Tyr has an unadulterated, murderous rage building up inside of him. He begins to have fantasies of going to the Dragons' homeworld, armed to the teeth with about a dozen Nova bombs and destroying them one and for all. If successful, there will be no more wars with the Drago Kazov and perhaps then, his pride can finally live in peace. All of a sudden, the planning of his future endeavors is interrupted by another heated exchange between the Kodiak matriarch and the Drago Kazov Fleet Marshall. 

"You know, Cuchulain... I find it very amusing that you address me as "old woman", especially when it seem that you are the one with the hearing problems. I am going to stress this one last time. **We.. do... not... have it!! **We have _**never**_ gotten it back!! Am I making myself quite clear _now_?!" 

At first, he stands there just staring at her, stone-faced and eerily quiet. Then, without warning, he bursts into hearty laughter. Lysandra does not find this the least bit comical. 

"You know what, Lysandra? Call me crazy, but... I believe you. Yes, I really do believe every word you're saying to me." Lysandra stands silently, not trusting a word he's saying and rightfully so. Just before it seems he's read to cut transmittion and possible forever, he has something else to add.

"Before we let bygones be bygones, as a sign of my good faith, I'm going to give you a little going away gift. Now, I know how much you **hate** these conferences of ours, so do you know what I am going to do for you? Just to make sure that you are really telling me the truth, I'm going to _personally_ fly down to your homeworld to find what I'm look for, then I will proceed in killing you and the rest of your pride and basically turning your village into the 7th circle of Hell." In an instant, the overwhelming silence in the village turns into a roar of overlapping gasps and mumbling. Dylan, Tyr, and Trance are in shock. Lysandra's eyes close in disbelief, but still she remains firm and quiet. Her eyes reopen just as Cuchulain is finishing his ultimatum.

"This is your final warning, old woman. You have just one week left. **Hand over the body of Drago Museveni!!**" 


	10. To Thine Own Self Be True

Part X: To Thine Own Self Be True

When the transmittion had ended, Tyr was as still as a statue. He couldn't bring himself to move or even breathe. He felt he didn't deserve any life sustaining breath. How could he have possibly known that his personal act of self-redemption came at such a high price? Going in, he was sure that the consequences of his actions were his and his alone, but now, he has inadvertently put the last of his pride in mortal danger. 

He knows he has a responsibility to tell them the truth, but at what cost? These people may be members of his own pride, but they are Nietzscheans, first and foremost. If they feel he is a threat to their health and well being, they would gladly hand him and the Progenitor's remains over to the Drago Kazov. Not because they are cowards(the word doesn't exist among Nietzscheans), but because it's the sensible thing to do. Hell, he would do it were it he in their position. Also, there is the matter of Lysandra. The last thing he wants is to lose the only family he has left. 

Dylan looks over at him and is well aware of the dilemma he's wrestling with, especially when he considers their last run-in with Cuchulain. It involved something along the lines of a Sabra/Jaguar treaty they helped come to pass, resulting in two newly independent solar systems and all were created for the sole purpose of keeping a close watch over the Dragons. They're quite sure he hasn't forgiven them for that. Trance, feeling the uneasy tension between Tyr and Dylan, feels it's her duty to break the silence. 

"Dylan... Tyr... what are we going to do?!" 

"There's one thing we can do and Tyr, you know exactly what that is." 

"No!" Tyr protested. "There has to be another way!" 

"We don't have much of a choice, Tyr!" Dylan shouted back. "I mean, I can't believe that you're actually considering risking all of our lives to hold on to someone that's already dead! Now, if we just set up some kind of exchange with the Dragons, hopefully they won't destroy the pride or us. We have to tell Lysandra...! " 

"We will tell her nothing!! It wouldn't change anything anyway!" Tyr growled. "Don't you see that it's all the same to the Dragons?! They will attack us anyway, whether we give them the Progenitor or not!" 

"Well, can't we just do what we originally came here to do and rescue them?" Trance proposed. She didn't realize how horribly offensive her suggestion was until Tyr gave her the most intimidating and uncomfortable stare. Afterwards, she decides that she should keep her comments to herself for the duration of this conversation. Dylan, on the other hand, feels that Trance's thinking is on the right track and wants to rephrase her idea, making it more "Nietzschean friendly". 

"I think what Trance was trying to say is, whatever the pride decides, we want to help out... whether it's vacating the planet before Drago Kazov get here or fighting them off when they do get here. It's entirely your decision." Tyr starts to contemplate the offer just as Dylan knew he would. As a human who has dealt many times with Nietzscheans, in his experience, he's learned that they respond better when the ball is in their court. After thinking it over, Tyr agrees to have Dylan and Trance help out. Just as they've finish speaking on the matter, seconds later, Lysandra reenters her quarters along with Balthasar and a few other Kodiak alpha males. They all are feverishly trying to figure out what the pride's next move should be. Emotions are running so high, they don't even notice that Tyr, Dylan and Trance are in the room with them.

"Cuchulain is absolutely insane!" one of the males shouted. "God damn him!! God damn all the Dragons...!!" 

"No, Marcellus... the only one that God seems to be damming is us!" states Lysandra, hiding her face in her hands out of frustration. 

"We have only a week until he comes here. What in the hell are we going to do?!" another Alpha asked. 

"Well, Cairbre, I know what I'm going to do. I'm taking my wives and my children and we're disappearing off of this rock!" said yet another male. 

"Braima, are you actually going to abandon the pride when we need more than ever to stand together?!" questioned Lysandra, angry that he wants to turn tail and leave. 

"Stand together?" Braima echoed. "As in standing up to Cuchulain and rest of the Drago Kazov? Marcellus was wrong. Cuchulain isn't insane, Lysandra... you are! The Dragons numbers are in the thousands. We, on the other hand, are just barely under 300. Twenty years ago when our numbers were at their highest, we still couldn't defeat them in the clan war. I lost my parents, my siblings and I barely got away with my life. Why, in God's name, do you think things will be any different this time?!" 

Getting the group's attention, Dylan declares, "Because we're here to offer our assistance to you." All eyes focused on the opposite side of the room to see who made such an audacious declaration. They were very surprised that they didn't noticed the three uninvited outsiders eavesdropping on their conversation. 

"Alright, which one of you said that?" Braima demanded. 

"I did." 

Braima starts to laugh just as Lysandra did before. "You did? A human?!" Getting somewhat tired of his intentions being laughed at, but not wanting to let it upset him, Dylan takes it on the chin by grinning and shaking his head. 

"Yes, I know I'm but a 'mere human', but I'm a mere human who's had my own personal encounter with Cuchulain and the Drago Kazov. 

Braima chuckled. "You're living in a fantasy world because if that were true, Human, you'd be a corpse!" 

"But it is true!" Trance said, defending Dylan. "You've heard of the Jaguar/Sabra treaty, haven't you? Well, Dylan made that happen and we all helped him do it." The grins on the males' faces were starting to disappear. This little "fairy tale" Dylan and Trance were spouting was becoming very bothersome and frankly, insulting to their Nietzschean manhood. They have heard the tales of the treaty between pride Jaguar and pride Sabra and the circumstances surrounding it, but they never thought to believe any of it because it was too far-fetched... that is, until now. The all-powerful Cuchulain and the rest of the Drago Kazov... outwitted by a crew of six, led by a Kludge? 

The Kodiaks are more or less oppressed by the Dragons on a daily basis, so how could this inferior human possibly have done what he alleges? The inner voice of their Nietzschean superiority is telling them there is no way this could have been done, but another voice(a clearer voice) is stating something altogether different... that this human is speaking the truth. Braima and the rest of the Alpha males carefully weigh the possible implications of this information. The more they thought about Dylan's claim, the angrier it made them and Tyr could see that. Just as the Alphas were about to directly express their displeasure, he proposes a brilliant idea. 

"If I may make a suggestion, gentlemen, I would like for my comrade here to... prove his usefulness to you all." Dylan gives him a look as if to ask what Tyr means by his statement. "True, Capt. Hunt is a human, but he is also a survivor, not unlike ourselves, with a survivor's instinct and tactical ability." 

"And... your point is?" sneered Cairbre.

"My point is... I'm offering you a challenge. Capt. Hunt and myself against any two pride members in hand to hand combat for 30 minutes." They couldn't believe their ears, especially Dylan who was stunned beyond belief. They thought this was some kind of joke.

"Let me get this straight... you and your Kludge friend against any two of our men in hand to hand combat?" laughed Braima. "That's very amusing! What's the catch?" 

"After that time is if we win, the catch is, gentlemen... you have to do what we say as far as how to handle Cuchulain. If not, we agree to step back and you can handle this any way you wish."

"No!" interupted Braima. "You're not going to get off that easily! If you and your comrade are defeated after that time... you two will lose your lives! Do we have a deal, uber?"

Dylan looks at Tyr and hopes that his Nietzschean pride doesn't get them in deeper than they already are, but sadly he knew that it would.

"Don't ever call me that!" Tyr growled. Lysandra starts trying to be the voice of reason. 

"Braima... Tyr.. stop this nonsense!! We don't have time for this! The last thing we need is to waste valuable time fighting amongst ourselves! This won't do anyone any good."

"Yes, please don't do this!" pleaded Trance, seconding what Lysandra said, but their pleas were swiftly ignored. The men were discussing the details of the upcoming challenge. 

"We will all meet in the middle of the village in one hour. Knives and fists... no other weapons allowed. Are these conditions clear?" Braima explained.

"Clear as crystal." agreed a stone-faced Tyr, not wanting to appear shaken. Dylan, on the other hand, was visibly angry... mostly it was at Tyr. How could he have allowed himself to be placed in the predicament? As Braima and the rest of the males retired to their quarters to prepare for the fight, Dylan wants a word with Tyr.

"Tyr, what in the hell are you thinking?!"


	11. Surviving The Game

Part XI: Surviving The Game

"I'm thinking that I am saving your life, sir." Tyr explains. 

"And what is that supposed to mean?" 

Tyr gives Dylan the most piercing glare that later melts into his usual scathing smirk. "Capt. Hunt, I don't think you understand what was about to transpire before I stepped in to help out. I know that you want to help but you're getting overzealous and stepping on more than a few toes, might I add." 

"So, you're saying I should have lied about our encounter with Cuchulain?"

"Yes, if you had any good sense." he advised. "First of all, the people you are quote/unquote "helping", are the remnants of a defeated pride. A pride that was crushed by the same people that plans to completely obliterate them now. For years, we have wandered the galaxies looking for homes and places in other prides only to be looked down by them as 'inferior'. In one week's time, these people will go into battle again, fighting for their right to survive and all of a sudden right out of the blue, an insignificant human comes along and claims that he managed to do in a matter of days what we couldn't do in a span of 20 years. Is it all becoming clearer now, sir?" 

Dylan realized that he just dodged a bullet. Tyr had brought to his attention the true purpose of what he needed to do. These people aren't helpless and the last thing they needed it to be thought as such. Yes, they want to live, but what would be the point of life if they are still looked upon as inferior? As much as he find this idea ridiculous, he remembers that it's not so ridiculous to a Nietzschean. If he is going to be allowed to help, it would have to be on their terms. Nietzscheans are people of action, not words, which means he would have to show them what he is capable of doing. Dylan turns to Tyr and nods in agreement with the challenge, although rather reluctantly. 

After what seems like an eternity of waiting, the hour had finally arrived. All four men leave their quarters and head for the middle of the village compound. News of the battle had spread like wildfire. Everyone was in attendance to see two of their own battle the outsiders. Tyr and Dylan slowly walked to the makeshift arena. The reception toward them was so loud and riotous, it was like the two men were walking to the gallows. Braima and Cairbre were already there waiting for them. They had been strutting around and gloating about their victory, inciting the crowd to the point of thirsting for blood. Dylan was beginning to wonder if agreeing to this was a good idea, but it was too late to back out now. He instead focused his energy on trying to survive as just as Tyr is. 

Trance and Lysandra were both standing together on the sidelines in support of Dylan and Tyr. Trance, still not wanting this battle to take place, turns to Lysandra and says, "Please, you're the matriarch and everyone respects you. Isn't there a way for you to stop this?"

"Little one, I don't think you realize what was happening in my quarters. You and your Capt. Hunt made a very startling revelation, a revelation that questions our Nietzschean superiority and that's usually punishable by death. Apparently, if my brother is willing to fight beside the human, he must hold him in very high regard. Either that or he has something up his sleeve."

The fight began without so much as a preamble. Dylan is not given the chance to mentally prepare himself before Braima's clasped hands came crashing down across his shoulder blades, bringing him to his knees. He continued his assault by smashing his fists into his face and ribs. In immense pain, Dylan manages to garner enough strength to roll on his back, twist his legs around, and kick Braima square in the jaw with both feet sending the Nietzschean flying backwards. The retaliation gives him a chance to get to his feet and think of his next move. Braima assesses the damage of the kick to his face, rises to his feet and when he's sure his jaw is not broken, he charges at full force. Just when he was about to feel the full impact of Braima's frontal assault, at the last possible second, Dylan delivers a roundhouse kick to his mid-section, finishing with a boot to the face causing the Kodiak to double over in pain. 

At the same time on the other side of the "arena", Tyr and Cairbre are fighting one another with the unspeakable savageness of two rabid hell hounds. There is much more at stake between them than just mere leadership positions and it's this knowledge that is fueling their fury.

A knife gripped in one hand, Cairbre motions the outsider to come forth and accept his untimely demise, but he is quick to realize that this will not be a simple kill. Tyr, also with a blade in his possession, maneuvers himself several times out of the path of Cairbre's weapon as it slices through the air, barely missing him. 

Remaining focused and feeling his opponent's frustration and weariness after a few more unsuccessful swipes, he sees his opening. With expert precision, he slashes Cairbre through his right cheek and instantly, the Alpha feels the edge of Tyr's blade protruding through his gums and some of his jawbone. The pain and the severity of the affliction are unimaginable. He grabs his mouth and with the blood ejecting through his fingers, all he could think about is if Tyr had cut his jaw off because he really couldn't feel it any longer. 

Seeing the Kodiak blinded by overwhelming pain and shock, Tyr consciously deduces that there was no possible way that Cairbre could go on fighting in this state, but his Nietzschean instincts aren't about to let him turn his back on him and rightfully so. From out of nowhere, this blinding rage comes over Tyr's bloodied opponent and he runs at him, screeching like a banshee determine to make him pay for slashing his face. Before he could properly react, Cairbre is all over him, supplying every and all types of kicks and blows. Tyr manages to block a good number of them but the others are delivered with painful accuracy. 

The men's clawing, ripping, scratching, biting, hissing and growling at one another is inhuman and vicious but the outsiders are holding their own. There was now 1 minute and 41 seconds left on the agreed upon time and everything was on the line. Dylan, now wrestling with fatigue and the pain of a bruised, possibly broken rib, a cut above his left eye, a bloodied lip, a couple of broken molars and bruised knuckles, is still fairing better than Braima, who's injuries are startlingly much worse. Secretly, he's wishing that he didn't make the 30 minute stipulation and at the same time, Dylan is wishing he hadn't agreed to it. On the other side, Tyr, sporting a vast array of injuries, none of them really life-threatening, is warring with his own exhaustion while Cairbre is trying his best not to bleed to death. These are very difficult tasks for both men. 

There is very little keeping any of the males standing. The jubilation that was going on in the early stages of the brawl was now replaced with an eerie kind of quiet. It was the kind of quiet that comes from eager anticipation fused with blunt astonishment. All are surprised that the kludge and the inferior uber that works for him has made it this far with any real serious injury. It's now come down to the last few seconds and both battles have been close. 

Neither Dylan nor Tyr want 'close', they want a clear-cut victory. The two began eyeing each other across the arena, drawing strength from one another and just as the few seconds on the clock were ticking away and signaling each other, they both delivered two powerfully devastating blows to Cairbre and Braima, flooring both Kodiak alpha males. The sound of fists shattering bone and smashing raw, exposed flesh echoes throughout the compound and then, all of a sudden, time was up. The surrounding crowd was completely dumbfounded, but Trance and Lysandra couldn't be happier. The two rush out from the sidelines and allow the hurt men to put their arms around the women's shoulders and lean on them for support, Lysandra anchoring her brother and Trance anchoring her captain. Before they are lead out of the arena, in referee style, Lysandra grabs both men's wrists and raises their arms above her head and officially recognizes them as the winners by announcing to the crowd the previously agreed upon stipulations. 

"The battle is now over! My brother, Tyr Anasazi, out of Victoria by Barbarossa and his companion, Capt. Hunt are the undisputed victors! As agreed, they are permitted to freely offer their services to us as we go into battle with Cuchulain and the rest of the Drago-Kazov!" 

The pride couldn't believe this. Before they could utter a single disparaging remark to their matriarch's announcement, to make sure that her orders are to be strictly followed, she adds this as an additional incentive... 

"For the duration of their time here, they are not to be harmed and anyone who does so, will answer to me! This new rule will be personally enforced by Jabari!" 

All of a sudden, the crowd starts acting more agreeably. Dylan and Tyr just stands there, puzzled, not knowing who or what a Jabari is and why he or it was able to cause this kind of reaction. The wondering doesn't last very long because it is swiftly replaced by reminders of pain and weariness. Both men allow themselves to be lead out of the arena and into their newly designated quarters where Trance nursed their wounds with some towels, hot water, a few medical essentials she had with her... gauze, bandages, a small case of 8 syringes filled with nanobots, and a pocket laser for surgery. With Lysandra in the room also, Dylan sees this as his chance to have a straight talk with the Kodiak matriarch."So, Lysandra, do you still believe chivalry is dead?" 

Lysandra remembers when she originally laughed at his invitation to help and now after seeing his dedication first hand, feels that it was a premature assumption on her part. "You've certainly convinced me of your abilities. You don't fight or think like a human."

"Yea, I've been complimented on that before." winces Dylan as Trance is treating one of his gaping wounds, but still tries to keep the conversation lighthearted. "It never ceases to amaze most of the Nietzscheans I've encountered." 

"Well, you've managed to garner my undivided attention, Capt. Hunt. I will be very interested in what your plans are as how to handle the Dragons." 

"Please, call me Dylan."

"Then, Dylan it is." She then looks up at Tyr sitting on the bed opposite from Dylan's, taking his shirt off. He's only half listening to her and Dylan's conversation, assessing the severity of his own injuries and waiting to be treated. She picks up one of Trance's clean towels, sloshes it around in the hot water, wrings it out and slowly approaches him with it. Sitting down beside him, she gently begins patting the blood and sweat off of his forehead, neck and shoulders. He lets out a low groan as the hot water seeps into the exposed gashes. Her face is beaming as she looks into his eyes. "And you, I can even begin to tell you how proud of you Father would be right now. I am also." 

Tyr just closed his eyes and let Lysandra's words intoxicate him. He could almost hear his own mother speaking to him through her. All his years of searching, isolation, loneliness and pain were starting to show in his body language. He was visibly tired... tired in his mind and heart as well as in his bruised and bloodied body. He wanted nothing more than to just collapse in her arms and free every emotions he has held on to for so long, but he was not about to have the bearing of his soul being witnessed by Dylan and Trance. He ends up settling for a caress on her cheek as his way of showing how much her words mean to him. 

When Trance finishes giving treatment to both men, it instantly dawns on them that it is getting very late and they have yet to reestablish radio contact with the Andromeda.

"Tyr, we have to get back to the Maru! exclaimed Dylan as he rose to his feet. "We've gone a number of hours without letting them know if we survived. God knows what could be going through their minds right now."

"The Maru is still on the beach and several kilometers away. You two can't possibly make that trip in your conditions." remarked Trance. 

"You don't have to walk back to the Maru to contact your ship, Dylan." Lysandra intervened. "You can use the transmitter in my quarters. It's has the same connection that the large computer screen in the main room of the village has, but it's more private." 

"Thank you very much for your hospitality." says Dylan, following her to her quarters. 

After being thoroughly chewed out by Beka and lectured half to death by Rommie for worrying them sick by not sending word sooner, a very flustered Dylan returned to the room where Tyr and Trance are waiting for him. Lysandra is by his side with a devilish smirk on her face, trying to keep from laughing out loud at him. "My... your First Officer has a rather colorful vocabulary." she snickers.

"Yes, she's practically bilingual." he smiled, still trying to shake off Beka's disparaging comments. Trance couldn't help but giggle to herself at the thought of their exchange. As the discussion of Beka's expressive nature succumbs, the subject of the sleeping arrangements is brought to the table. 

"Since it is a long trek back to your ship, this will be your room for the duration of your stay. I will arrange for an extra cot for the little one." Lysandra suggests. 

"The extra cot won't be needed because I'm pretty sure that at least one of us will have to be awake as a guard just in case any of Braima's or Caibre's family members decide to exact their revenge on myself and Tyr."

"Oh no, that won't be necessary. I've already explained that Jabari will be guarding your door." Remembering the reaction that was given by the crowd previously, Dylan finally asked, "If you don't mine me asking, who is Jabari?" 

"You'll see," She cryptically answers and after giving Tyr a last sisterly glance, abruptly exits the room. A little taken aback by her answer, Tyr turns to the other two and asks, "What is that suppose to mean?" Dylan just shrugs and answers, "I guess that means, 'we'll see'."


	12. As Different As Night & Day

Part XII: As Different As Night & Day

It is now nightfall and the compound has grown dark. Most of the Kodiaks have retired for the night except for a few who are chosen by Lysandra to be the designated lookouts for the village. Some are on the steel balconies, watching the doors and elevators, others are on the surface above ground, watching the skies. None of these precautions are giving the three any real sense of security, so for most of the night, they just lay awake listening to the sounds of the room. As 11:00 rolls around, Dylan and Trance have both given in to their exhaustion and slip into a very deep slumber. Tyr, on the other hand, is waiting for the appearance of their so-called "guard". Personally, he is not the kind of person to take things at face value and trust is not something that any self-respecting Nietzschean would gives away willingly, especially to a faceless entity like this Jabari. He can not and will not place his life in the hand of someone he has never met and then probably would not do so after the fact. And so, he waits. 

At the stroke of midnight, his Nietzscheans hearing begins to pick up the sound of footsteps in the corridor right outside the room door. They are somewhat heavy and clunky, like the sound of someone wearing heavy boots, possibly a male. He also hears some clanging, like the sound of steel weapons hitting against one another on someone's weapons belt. It's overlapping with a swishing sound, like the sound that his leather duster makes when he's in motion. All of it is happening simultaneous... the clunking, the clanging and the swishing and the closer it's comes to the door, the louder it is until suddenly, it all comes to an abrupt stop. 

In the opposite direction from where the previous sounds came from, he hears more footsteps and this time, it's more of a light, clicking and clacking, like the sound from a boot with a high heel. Along with the clicking and clacking is a light, airy swishing, like from a free-flowing, non-clinging type of material, possibly a dress. He's pretty sure that this is the sound of a woman walking. He hears no additional sounds, so he deduces that this second person is probably not carrying any weapons. Just as the first collection of sounds do, the closer it get, the louder it get until it come to an abrupt stop. It's all happening right outside the door.

Suddenly, he now hears the faint sound of voices embarking on a conversation, but he can only hear one side of it. His assumptions about second set of footsteps are right, they did belong to a woman. It's Lysandra. The other one is too low to put any kind of identity to it. Could this be the allusive Jabari? 

"You're orders are to guard the occupants of this room..." said Lysandra to the other individual. The person answers back to her, but Tyr can't make out what is being said. He tries to listen more carefully. "...my brother, Tyr and his companions." she answers again. The person tells her something else that Tyr can't quite make out and Lysandra answers back, "... I thought they were all dead too." Tyr is getting frustrated with the other individual and murmurs to himself, "Will you just speak a little louder!" 

For another 5-10 minutes, the seemingly one-sided conversation carries on and the mysterious second person isn't about to have their identity revealed which is making Tyr more and more irritated. It was like they wanted him to die from the curiosity. 

"...yes, he is the one that gave Caibre the slash on his face..." Lysandra goes on. "...don't worry, he's a very capable fighter, they both are..."

If he didn't hear the first set of footsteps, he would just think that Lysandra is having a very engaging conversation... with herself. Not that he didn't appreciate the praise that his sister was giving them, but he would like to know who she's giving it to. 

"...the little purple being? I'm not sure. She doesn't look like a fighter, but she's a good medic and we'll need that..." the conversation keeps going. "No, I'm not sure what she is, but I don't think she's dangerous. He wouldn't put himself in that position if she was..." Tyr believes she's referring to whether or not he thinks Trance is a danger even though deep down, he's still not sure if she is or isn't. 

"...Dylan Hunt... Yes, a human... I thought it was all a rumor too... I saw him and his fighting skills are worthy of a Nietzschean... yes, he's a High Guard Captain... actually he looks pretty good for someone who's supposedly over 300 years old..." Tyr couldn't help but smile at the joke. "...I already said that he's going to be a part of all that... I know you like working alone, but you are going to make an exception this time..." The conversation is starting to get a little heated. Apparently, the mystery person likes being a solo act. Under normal circumstances, Tyr would finds this a commendable trait, but not now while there's so much at stake. Something tells him that this individual is going to be a problem for him and Dylan. 

Lysandra's voice gets calmer and lower as she is trying to come up with a compromise that will satisfy the mystery person's concerns. "...of course you're not going to be replaced. You're the fiercest solider I have. You're the best there is and we'd be lost without your expertise..." Tyr wonders if her statement is indeed a fact or just a case of reverse psychology to appease an unstable and insecure uber? Either way, a growing resentment for this Nietzschean is starting to build up inside of him. He does not relish the idea of having to answer to a conceited loose cannon nor does he like the idea being responsible for watching their back during the time of battle. He rolls his eyes, lets out a low sigh and continues listening.

After a while, Tyr is not the only one in the room that's awake. Trance wiggles around a little in her bed and opens her eyes. After rubbing them and adjusting them to the lamplight in the room, she manages to see Tyr across the room, sitting up in his bed with his head cocked to one side. She gives him a strange look.

"Tyr, what are you doing?" she whispers, trying not to startle him or wake Dylan. He gives her a quick "shhh" and continues listening. It doesn't take long for her to figure out exactly what he's doing. "You're eavesdropping?!" she says, still whispering but a little more loudly than before. He shushes her again and motions her to keep quiet. She quietly crawls out of her bed and sits on the floor next to Tyr's. "Is it that Jabari person?" Tyr just gives her a look as if to say 'not one more word out of you'. Trance just folds her arms in a disapproving huff. 

He goes back to the conversation and comes in on another exchange of words between the two. It's hard to tell for sure but it almost sounds like Lysandra is crying now. Tyr is extremely annoyed at Trance for making him miss what had just been said. He leans in and listens more carefully hoping he'll find out what happened. 

"...my heart almost leap out of my chest. It was like my father walked into the room. I never thought I see that face again... ever. Look at me, crying like the old fool I am, but for the first time since the clan war, I'm daring myself to hope again..." her voice breaking as she speaks. "...our salvation is in that room and I want you to guard them with your life. Understand?" Something else is said by the mysterious second person and she closes the conversation with, "Good night." He now hears the clicking and clacking of Lysandra's high heeled boots as she is walking back to her quarters. All this is followed by a slightly irritating scraping noise and a small thud. A sound made possibly by someone propping a chair against the wall outside the room door and taking a seat. After that, there is nothing but silence. 

"Is it okay for me to talk now?" she whispers, still pouting at him. 

"Quiet. They're still out there." 

"Who... Jabari?" 

"Possibly." 

She sighs, not knowing what the significance of all this secrecy is for. "Tyr, that's suppose to be a good thing. I mean, he's there to guard us, isn't he?" He shakes his head, "Not while I'm awake. Go back to sleep. I'm going to stand guard." She is completely confused at this point. 

"Let me get this straight... you're actually going to guard us from the guard?" 

"I'm not going to put our lives in the hand of someone I've never even laid eyes on." 

Trance is getting somewhat tired of the absurdity of this conversation. She gets off the floor and crawls back into bed. In her last breath as she is going back to sleep, jokingly she offers this suggestion, "If you're so worried, Tyr, why don't you just go out there and see what he's like?" 

He knows Trance is only joking, but the fact is that she indeed has a valid point. He needs to see and validate this Jabari for himself. He gets out of bed, grabs his clothes, boots and gun belt and gets dressed. Quietly he walk across the room to the panel on the right of the door. He presses he large red button and the door silently slides open. 

The anxiety begins to sets in as he prepares himself to round the corner. In his current field of vision, he can see a pair of heavy, clunky black boots, crossed right over left, propped on the steel railing opposite from the room. The boots are on the ends of two legs that wrapped rather tightly in black leather pants with a gun in a holster on the left leg. The more Tyr rounds the corner, the more of this person he sees. 

The waistband of the leather pants has a weapons belt buckled around it full of razor sharp knives and other steel weaponry. His eyes continue to trail upward to see two hands lying across the chest with the fingers entwined, connected to two arms with bone spurs protruding from the long sleeves of a black leather duster. He follows the sleeves to the shoulders. Oddly, they are draped with large masses of thick, looping copper colored curls. His eyes continues their journey until they finally stop and stare in complete and utter amazement. Staring up at him with the biggest dark brown eyes is probably the most beautiful woman Tyr had ever seen! 


	13. Introducing Mayte Jabari... The Fast and...

Part XIII: Introducing Mayte Jabari... The Fast and The Furious

"You're still awake." the woman observes, in a somewhat sophisticated tone of voice. Tyr, still under the influence of his initial shock, could only summon up this excuse, "I... I heard voices out here." 

"I am very sorry about that." she apologizes. "I was just being debriefed by Lysandra. You see, I was away for a little while on a mission she sent me on and I had just gotten back tonight. Right when I walked in the compound, I was told that I was to stand guard over you and your friends." That was the confirmation that Tyr was seeking, although it fell way short of what he had first expected. 

"Then, you are...?" he begins to inquire.

Her full lips curl into a smile. With an extended arm and the upmost confidence, she answers with, "Mayte Jabari... at your service, Mister... Anasazi, is it?" He just stands there silently observing her. She can feel his eyes penetrating right through her. There is something in his glare that suggests a level of discontentment and she calls him on it. "Is there something the matter?" 

"What ever gave you that idea?" he answered, rather sarcastically.

"Being the soldier that I am, I just happen to have this uncanny ability to read people." she says, just as sarcastically. "Now, are you going to tell me the real reason you're out here or do you want to hear why I think you are?" 

"Enlighten me." he says, almost to the point of demanding her.

"In a very strange and Nietzschean kind of way, this is the equivalent of a job interview, am I right? You want to know my capabilities and if I'm to be trusted. I just knew that your feelings of skepticism would get you out here to see me at some point especially since no Nietzschean I know would blindly put their lives into the hands of a stranger. Hell, I even timed you." She starts giggling as she's peering at her timepiece. "You, my friend, popped out a little later than I expected." Tyr is not entirely clear on what this woman is finding amusing and begins to grow a little irate. 

"Well, since you have this "uncanny ability" to read people, tell me... what am I thinking now?" he demands, as he places his face directly in front of hers and his voice gets dangerously low in volume. Sensing his irritation and without flinching in the slightest, she offers this answer, "You want to tear off my clothes and make mad, passionate love to me?" Tyr scoffs at her in disgust. He's never met such a unruly and childish character... well, other than Harper that is.

"Are you insane?" he asks, trying his best not to lose his temper. "Do you find any of this remotely amusing?!" 

She tries to suppress her laughter by covering her mouth, but is finding it very difficult. Especially since the angrier he gets, the funnier she thinks it is. She coughs, and sputters a little before she manages to finally control herself. "My goodness, I'm sorry for carrying on the way I am, but every time something like this happens, I just can't help myself." She has completely lost him. "Something like what happens?" he asks, puzzled.

"When overconfident Nietzschean males think they've gotten me all figured out." she explains, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "I usually take great pleasure in proving them wrong and you will be no exception." 

"If I didn't know better, I would swear that sounded a lot like a threat." he says, sternly as he rises to his feet. 

"Of course this isn't a threat." she replies, coyly as she rises to hers. "But, if I were you, I'd heed it more as a caution." 

Tyr watches her as she stands up and is now getting a better look at her. She looks like she's around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, about five feet and six inches tall, a rich honey brown complexion, heart-stealing deep, dark, round mahogany eyes, full pouty lips, a slight waist, the complete plethora of her curly, copper colored hair, and all of it brought together with the most dangerous curves found in her breasts and hips. He had to admit that he is extremely taken with her striking beauty, but he had to put his hidden admiration aside. This was about his life and his honor. The Kodiaks are about to go to war in a week's time and from what he gathers, this disrespectful and defiant young girl is supposedly the pride's one true hope. "Preposterous!" he thought to himself. 

Just to give her a taste of her own medicine, he lets out a hearty laugh at her quote/unquote "heed of caution". She doesn't appear to be shaken at all by this as she stands and stares at him, motionless. "Child, why don't you just retire to your quarters. I will guard the room for the rest of the night." he suggests as he seats himself in her chair. He's looks up at her, almost daring her to say one objectionable word against his decision. Initially, she does look almost disappointed by his actions for some reason but, to his dismay, she doesn't object. Instead, she is acting most agreeably. "As you wish, Mr. Anasazi." she answers in a rather stern manner. "Whatever you think is best." 

Giving him the most vehemently piecing glare, she saunters off down the corridor. Just as she is about to round the corner into her room she turns to him and asks, "One question, Mr. Anasazi...do you believe in God?" 

"Every Nietzschean knows that God is dead." he proclaims with the upmost certainty. 

"That's a pity... because in a few minutes, you're going to be praying for His help. Good night." And with that, she disappears into her room. He tries not to let her message of impending doom get the better of him. 

After his strange and interesting encounter with Mayte, the rest of the night is rather uneventful. The day was long and his body was still tired, so it didn't take long for him to shut his eyes and surrender to the sleep that has crept up on him. 

All of a sudden, he feels something being slipped over his head, like a cloth bag and the touch of many hands all over him. He struggles because he can barely breathe through the material and the hands all start to hurt him... punching, scratching, and clawing at him, along with the sounds of overlapping voices screaming, "Pick him up! We'll take him to the surface!" All at once, the hands grab him around his arms and legs, lifting him out of the chair and are carrying him to the elevator. He can tell without seeing the faces of his assailants that he is clearly outnumbered, but the knowledge of this fact does not stop him from trying as hard as he possibly can to get away. 

The elevator carrying Tyr and the mysterious hands finally reaches the surface and the night immediately embraces them like a sable blanket. If it was not for the full moon shining down on them, the jungle would be a terrifying shade of pitch black. Not that any of this would have made a difference considering that Nietzscheans are genetically engineered with superior sight, including being able to see in complete darkness. The moonlight shown through the surrounding trees and lit the way for them as they are heading for a very large clearing and positions Tyr in the very middle of it. With a quick jerk, the hood is taking off his head and he is now seeing his attackers for the first time. 

There are about 20 or 30 Kodiak young males circling him ranging from about 15 to 25 years of age. As Tyr is standing in their moonlit "coliseum", he is noticing all of the typical attributes of strength, chiseled physiques, towering heights, etc. Everything any well-bred Nietzschean male has and he knows that in a few seconds, they will all be trying to tearing him to pieces. Just as Tyr finishes assessing his situation, the ringleader of the group steps forward... a towering dark-skinned, extremely muscular male in his mid 20's. His eyes are hidden behind a pair of dark shades.

"I am Daray Gautier... out of Kacela by Caibre. You were the one that gave my father the slash on his face and humiliated him, uber!" his voice thunders in a tone that seems almost demonic. 

Not appearing to be shaken by the mob, he answers the angry youth by saying, "Well, I can't exactly help the fact that your father is clearly inferior." Tyr apparently strikes a nerve because just behind Daray, another young man steps forward to personally shut his mouth, but is motioned to by the ringleader to stay put. 

"Not now, Kael," he commands, "we'll wait for his friends to join him." Not long after his orders are said, more young men are ascending up the elevator. Twisting and squirming around in their grasps are the hooded bodies of Dylan and Trance. Tyr immediately tries to run to their rescue only to get a forearm to the face and a boot to the ribs for his efforts. Both impacts reintroduce the old pain he was feeling earlier and incapacitates him for a short while. He begins to worry that he's not at 100% and that he might not be able to fend the mob off for long, but this doesn't stop him from throwing his hat in the ring. Still on his knees just as Daray is standing over him, Tyr strikes the youth directly in the abdomen and while doubling over in pain, grabs him by the neck and flips him over landing him on his back. Following his lead, Dylan somehow removes the hood from off of his head and breaks free from his abductors. Now, back to back in the moonlit clearing, keeping the mob at bay, Dylan and Tyr face their newest threat head on. 

"Isn't this a noble gesture. Friends to the end, I suppose?" Daray observes, laughing. 

"This will definitely an ending, but not for us." Dylan declares. 

"That's very bold statement, especially considering the odds you're up against." 

"Nothing we can't handle." 

"I guess we'll have to find out how if that's true, won't we. Kael... kill them!" The two are surrounded and are instantly engulfed by the angry mob. In their weakened conditions, they knew they could do very little in their defense and just as they are about to have their worst fears realized, a shadowy figure emerges from the darkness and speaks directly to the crowd. 

"Now, I can't allow that to happen." the figure proclaims, stepping into the light. It's Mayte. Somehow, the two men do not feel relieved by her presence, especially Dylan, considering this is his first time he's ever laid eyes on her. 

"This has nothing to do with you, Jabari!" Daray exclaims. 

Like a sleek lioness stalking her prey, she begins circling the young man. "On the contrary, Daray, this has much to do with me. Now, are you going to let them alone or do I have to show you the error of you and your siblings' ways?" He couldn't believe her sheer audacity. It was almost laughable.

"You know, Jabari, I think you are starting to believe your own hype." he laughs, trying to deflate the air out of her threat. "You can beat maybe 10 or 15 men at the most, but I know that you can't beat all 30 of us. There's just no way." 

"We'll just have to see, won't we." she declares. "Take them out of the middle and put me in instead." 

"Done." Tyr and Dylan are immediately recaptured and drug out of the "arena" and are moved to the sidelines. The moonlight shows through the surrounding trees and lights the way for Mayte as she heads for a very large clearing and positions herself in the very middle of it. She looks as if she's standing on a huge stage with someone showing a larger than life spotlight on her. The way it all illuminates through her reddish-brown hair and around her curvaceous body make her, in Daray's own opinion, quite a captivating sight rather than an intimidating one. "She would make an excellent mate for someone." he thinks to himself. "It's a shame to have to bloody that beautiful face." 

Circling around her like sharks in a tank, Daray, along with the other Kodiak males, begin closing in on Mayte. She takes in a deep cleansing breath, balls up both of her tiny fists and with the force stronger than anything he could have possibly imagined, delivers a double punch directly in the center of his chest, sending him literally flying several feet backwards. He has never felt pain like this in his entire life. He couldn't catch his breath because it felt like his ribs have caved in and lungs had just collapsed. He looks up at her as she is somersaulting backwards in his direction. He finally gets back on his feet but before he could do or say anything, she delivers two roundhouse kicks to the side of his head which felt even worse than the punch. He is staggering all about, reeling in pain. He was caught off guard at first but his surfacing anger gives him the strength to try to defend himself. He offers his own contribution to their battle only to have his efforts fail miserably. She delivers some of the same to the others that are surrounding her, cutting them down like a forest of trees. Each of her blows more devastating than the last. 

The three captives sit on the ground tied to one another, staring at her in awe. They cannot believe what it is they're witnessing. Her fighting style is unlike anything they have every seen from anyone, male or female, Nietzschean or human. She's lightning fast almost to the point of it seeming like there was more than one of her. Every punch or kick any of the men tries to inflict on her would either hit air or would be blocked with effortless speed. Her furious attack is gravity defying, even for a Nietzschean. Diving over and around them, rolling under and away from them without showing any signs of slowing down or stopping. The mob becomes easily frustrated because they just cannot keep up with her astonishing acrobatics. 

Mayte sees all of the men crawling away to safety... weary, injured, thwarted or unconscious. All, except Daray because now he running on pure hate. With every ounce of strength left, he delivers a devestating jump kick that smashes into her sternum, sends her crashing to the ground, leaving her lying flat on her back. Now, she's the one who can barely breathe, reeling in pain. She gives him such a look. It isn't anger, fear, or even hatred... she looks astonished and almost insulted. She lets out a low jaguar-like growl and does a kip up to her feet. The fire in her eyes could almost burn him alive. She leaps through the air and with her leg extended, preparing a powerful jump kick to connect with Daray's face. He quickly ducks out of the way just as her kick splinters the tree behind him, turning it into a shell of its former self. The force of the blow could qualify, in his case, as a near-death experience. 

Growing tired of dodging and ducking away from her, out of pure desperation, Daray draws his gun out on her. Without so much as breaking a stride, she spin kicks the gun out of his hand and with her fully extended leg that stretched straight up in the air, pins him to a tree with a boot heel to his neck. She slowly increases the pressure to his neck, slowly cutting off his air. He begins to see red spots in front of his eyes due to the lack of oxygen. 

"Daray, I know you don't want to die right now, so this is a warning." she declares, in a low but firm tone of voice. "Underestimating me is a very deadly mistake... try not to make that mistake again." She presses her boot in harder and just as he is about to lose consciousness, she removes her foot and lets his oxygen deprived body crash to the ground. The young man is on his hands and knees, coughing profusely, trying to catch his breath. 

Mayte, grabbing a knife out of her weapons belt, turns to the three crew mates tied together on the ground. She cuts Dylan and Trance loose and just as she is about to do the same for Tyr, she leans down to his ear and whispers, "That goes for you too, Anasazi." 


	14. New Day & New Beginnings

Part XIV: New Day & New Beginnings

In the light of the dawning sun after their considerably tumultuous night, Mayte escorts the trio back to their quarters. The tension in the air between herself and Tyr is overwhelmingly thick, made from a combination of his guilt, her blame and the question of how they are to get past both in order to coexist with each another. Dylan and Trance, on the other hand, are visibly still under a great deal of strain by the experience to notice any of this. They just want to forget it any of it ever happened.

"Are any of you hurt?" asks Mayte, looking at their somewhat disheveled appearances. 

"I have a bruise on my arm, but other than that, I'm all right. Just a little roughed up." answers Trance, rubbing her arm.

"Ditto for me." Dylan seconds. "Just roughed up." 

"What about you, Anasazi?" she asks, even though she knows it's a loaded question.

"I'm fine." he answers, knowing the hidden implications behind her asking. 

Just then, storming down the corridor is Lysandra, heading in Mayte's direction. She looks as if she's angered about something. "What in the hell happened last night?!" she screams at her. 

Trying her best to defend herself but finding it very difficult to talk over Lysandra's screaming, she tries to explain. "Lysandra, I was doing my job." 

"Oh, is that so? Funny, that's not what I've been told." she explains. "From what I've been hearing from some of the other pride members, around 3:00 this morning, you were away from your post and Tyr was in your place guarding the room. Is this true?" Tyr figures this is Mayte's opportunity to use his faux pas against him to save her own skin. At least, that's what he would do in her situation, but instead, she did something that completely shocks him. 

"Yes, it's true." she begins, "I know they could have been killed because of my gross negligence. I never should have left my post and I deeply apologize for my actions." Tyr was completely floored. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why she was covering for something he was responsible for. 

She had already made her apology, but Lysandra isn't through reprimanding her. "Mayte, your brilliantly executed combat strategies are like none I've ever seen before or since, you're a excellent bounty hunter and tracker and your skills as a fighter are insurmountable which is why I put up with your poisonous pro-human/anti-Nietzschean philosophies and overall insubordination, but my patience is wearing very thin." Believing he has heard enough, Dylan feels he should interject on the young warrior's behalf. 

"Lysandra, listen... I don't really know the true circumstances behind what happened last night other than the fact we were ripped from our beds by an angry mob of Nietzscheans and almost killed by them but, at the same time, we were save by this very remarkable fighter before any real damage could be done. For that, we are very grateful to her for being, as far as I'm concerned, in the right place at the right time." 

"Yes, exactly." Trance concurs. "She really did save our lives."

Lysandra, still somewhat skeptical, looks over at Tyr for his input. "Have you anything to add in her defense?" 

Tyr stands silently for a couple of seconds staring first at Lysandra, then at Mayte. He knows she put her neck on the line covering for his mistake, but he's not sure why she's doing it. What exactly does she want from him in return? He ultimately comes to the conclusion that the tension and rivalry between them aren't worth the energy to continue, especially since she's proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that she deserves his respect and gratitude.

"No. Dylan and Trance have already expressed how we all are feeling. I have nothing to say to the contrary." 

Feeling she's been outnumbered, Lysandra finally stops her verbal persecution and back down. "I've heard enough. Let's just try to get back at the task at hand. With so little time allotted to us, there is literally no rest for the weary." she points out to them. "It's morning now and we have to get to work, sleep or no sleep. Now, Mayte... take Tyr to the surface and show him where the Kill Zone is and the other plotted out perimeters. Dylan and Trance... follow me into my quarters for a debriefing." 

After receiving their orders, Tyr and Mayte walk side by side heading back to the elevator. They stand on the platform as it rises, being driven half mad by the uncomfortable silence between them. They know there is much to be said right now, it was just a question of who was going to make the first move. Mayte, being the kind of person she is, decides to make light of the situation even though she knows her brand of humor is lost upon Tyr. 

"So, what's new?" she asks, jokingly. He immediately sees what she is trying to do and although he's really not in the mood for this, decides to play along. "Nothing I can think of right off the top of my head. What's new with you?" She smiles at his so-so comedic effort. They had to admit it wasn't the best tension breaker they could have thought of, but it was a definite push in the right direction.

"It seems that I owe you an apology." he admits reluctantly, staring forward trying to avoid eye contact. "I clearly underestimated you."

"Yes, you did." she agrees, looking up at him, smiling. They stand there for a little while as the uncomfortable silence returns for the moment. Mayte attempts to break it again. "So, tell me... is this the beginning of a truce?" looking up at him, batting her puppy dog eyes in an attempt to look adorable. He just shakes his head and gives a half a smile, just like he does when Trance has those occasional bouts of cuteness that catch him off guard. "Call it whatever you like." 

Still sensing the tension in his voice, she walks around in front of him so she can talk to him face to face. "Listen, Tyr... contrary to what you might believe, I'm not your enemy. We're both here for the same reason, are we not? You don't have to like me and I'm not sure if I like you, but let's try to make this whole ordeal as painless as possible. Do we have a deal?" 

Granted, it wasn't the lengthiest or most poignant speech he had ever heard, but she did make a significant point with it. He decided to let his defenses down for the time being. "All right, it's a deal." 

When they arrived back on the surface, they were greeted by a beautiful sunrise. The essence of last night's fight still lingers in the air, hot and thick. All around them they could see splintered trees, broken branches and many square feet of earth that has been turned up in the scuffle. The clearing looks more like a huge vehicle had driven through it than a fight having had occurred. 

"It looks like we have our work cut out for us." she comments. "First things first... the broken branches and splintered trees need to be cleared. The area near the compounds entrance needs to look like it's uninhabited. The last thing we need is the Dragons to zero in on this spot." Taking in what she just said, Tyr looks around at the surrounding plant life. "Maybe you should consider clearing a few more trees, not too much though. Just enough to see the skies a little better. With the exception of the clearing, there is no way to see through the dense vegetation when the Dragons arrive. That is, unless you have lookout towers." 

She knows he said it as a joke, but it inspires her enough to give her an idea. "I think I have your lookout tower. Follow me, Anasazi." 

She walks in the opposite direction of the clearing, heading out of the overshadowing embrace of the lush wooded area towards a group of distant rock formations about 1 or 2 kilometers westward. On the side of the formations is a steep, hook shaped cliff that seems to be hanging there out of sheer will. To Tyr, it looks extremely unstable and felt in the long run, would probably end up being more of a danger to them than an aid. 

Tyr and Mayte hike through a rocky footpath that leads upward to the top of the formation. The higher the two climb, the steeper it get. After a while, they were literally clawing the grass and small plants on the ground to keep themselves from tumbling back down to the bottom. Mayte turns her head around to see if Tyr is still close behind her or if he needs her assistance. He appears to be struggling a little. "Anasazi, are you doing okay? You look like you need some help." 

Face down on the ground, he looks up at her as if he's offended by what she's insinuating. "No, I'm fine!" Just as he finishes his declaration of independence, he loses his footing and slowly begins to slide backwards. Seeing that he does indeed need her help, quick as a flash, she reaches behind her and grabs him by the wrist. The weight shift that occurs by her, a 125 pound woman, trying to keep him, a 220 pound man, from sliding down the side of the slope ends up making her lose her footing also and now both begin descending toward the bottom towards the jagged rocks below. 

The two start sliding down faster. Mayte quickly reaches for a knife on her weapons belt and drives the blade into the ground like a spike making her and Tyr's decent jerk to a halt. He looks up to see what's happening only to see this very tiny woman tightly gripping his wrist with her right hand and the handle of a knife rammed in the ground with her left. She looks back down at him with expressions of unbelievable pain and discomfort flashing across on her face. The weight of trying to hold them both on the slope is about to split her in two. 

Quickly, he follows her lead by grabbing a knife out of his weapons belt and driving it into the ground. Seeing that now he is able to support his own weight, she lets go of his wrist and rubs the sore muscles in her shoulder, relieved that the initial danger is over. "T... Tyr, are you alright?!" she yells, concerned. 

"I'm going to live." he answers, grunting and groaning, trying to get his footing back. 

"Good." She looks back toward their destination and realizes that although they slid back a few feet, they were still close. "Let try to get our footing back. We're not that far from the top, Anasazi." Both of them dug their heels back in and continued on their way, using their knives to assist them. 

As they got higher up the slope, the land seems to have flatten itself out and after awhile, they were able to walk upright again. The hard part is over, now come the payoff. Still a few feet away from the edge of the seemingly unstable cliff, Mayte bravely walks forward to see if her predictions are right. She slowly positions herself on the very edge and looks downward. With an smile lighting up her face signifying that her assumptions were right, she turns around and motions Tyr to see it for himself. He hangs back still not fully trusting the stability of the cliff. 

"Come on, Anasazi, this is what you wanted to see, is it not? You can see everything you need to see from here." she informs him, trying to coax him to the ledge. "Come... your lookout tower awaits." 

"It doesn't exactly look that safe to me. Maybe we should try looking for a better place."

Walking back toward him with a look of concern on her face, she tries to reassure him. "Don't worry, I've never let any of my soldiers down before and I'm not going to start now. I wouldn't let you fall. I should think you of all people would have figured that out by now." 

For some strange reason, Tyr believes her. He isn't sure if it's what she said or how she said it, but it's enough to make him take those first few steps to the edge of the cliff and look downward just as she did. It was high enough to see over the trees overshadowing the entrance of the compound and all the land that surround it. Also, it gave them access to miles and miles of clear, undisturbed sky that would allow them to see the Dragons when they land instantly. Not only that, the view was spectacular. Blue skies, lush trees and plant life that seems to go on for miles. 

"Well, what do think?" she asks, not quite sure how to translate the expression on his face. 

"I think that I'm very impressed, young Jabari." he answers, looking directly at her. She gets a strange feeling that he isn't talking about the view. 


End file.
